Both Sides
by iheartCSI4326
Summary: [DL] It's undeniable what feelings are there. But from both sides they are seeing exactly the same thing.
1. Reputation

**Disclaimer:** Own nothing. Want to. Really want to. But still don't.

**AN:** Not set in a particular season, as I just write what comes to me. So let's say end of season two kinda. _Shrug_. Hope you like.

And on another note. Yes, I know, I have too many unfinished and fics I've left hanging. But I'll try my best to update them when I can. I'm scared I'm losing my writing ability. _LOL_. Read and Review as you please. (;

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**Both Sides**

Danny leant back on the wall of the precinct. After just having a interrogation like he was banging his head against a brick wall he decided to call it for now and take a break. Watching the steam rise from the coffee in his hand, the weather was colder, not to the point where people seemed to notice and wear decent clothing, he noted, after watching a twenty something blonde walk by in a mini skirt, short vest top, topped with red heels. As any red blooded male, he watched her pass with slight interest. But soon the moment was gone and he went back to staring, and some what losing himself in the coffee liquid before him.

A mix of laughter and friendly banter of cops with fellow cops caught his attention and he looked over toward the entrance doors. Flack with a few other detectives Danny was familiar with from cases were in conversation, or what looked like debate over something. Most likely non-work related.

"Danno," Flack called him over with a nod of his head.

_Here we go. What's he going to get me into this time_. He thought, inwardly sighing to the fact that his peaceful time to think over things was now over, and when Flack had that bubbly excitement while still on the clock, if it was nothing to do with work - he knew he was in for something, most definitely something he wasn't going to like. You name it, over the years, before anything that he dreaded to remember, it always started the same. Flack; with goofy grin and bubbly excitement. A trip down memory lane that matched those situations, he still regretted most. Tequila too many times to count. Dares. It seemed that Flack had yet still to grow up from high school pranking. But the thing that had Danny wanting to rub his head in the effect that he could just put all his worrying down to a headache. Was, in one word, women.

"I was just chatting with Mitchell, and Lee here. I was tellin' them about that club we went to. We're thinking of heading there tomorrow night since most of us are on call, and when I mentioned that club. I remembered that you're quite the popular one there..." Flack smirked in amusement.

Danny tried his best not to wince. There it was. His reputation. Biting him in the ass once again. Not to say it was untrue or that it was but a rumor and nothing more. But it did have the faint hint of truth to it. It had been true, he just wondered if that was true now.

"So. Messer, big player eh," the cop, who Flack motioned as Lee, commented.

"Understatement of the year my friend. Messer here. Changes girls more times than I do. And that's saying a lot, now isn't it, Messer." Flack nudged him with his elbow. Not noticing the look on Danny's face.

Danny stopped for a minute. Wondering if it was true. Did he do that. Was he that disregard-less of women? Like they were just a old sports page he could just throw away when he had read all the baseball news he had wanted from it. He hated to think that it was that harsh as a reality. What sickened him, was if that's what he indeed was. Then that meant everyone he knew, could see that. Well, that made him feel like he may as just drive his car off the Manhattan bridge.

He blinked and let the world around him come back into consciousness. Looking over at Flack he tried to block out all the tales he had gone on to tell the two other cops. _Nice going Flack, thanks a lot._

Somehow he managed to excuse himself away from them. 'I gotta' get back to work. Mac'll have my head.'... if ever that were true.

He found himself in his standard issue crime lab Denali. Fiddling with the radio stations he wondered why he bothered with useless time fillers when he was in fact just avoiding doing something. It was friday, and he had nothing better to do, then sit in his empty apartment, that had a inconvenient leak in the kitchen that was slowly by slowly filling out into the adjoining lounge... and entertain ideas of things he could do, clubs. Drinking. Girls. All the things he was supposedly doing according to everyone else.

He could always sit with a pizza and beer, and watch the long list of games he had taped during the last couple of months. For some reason, one unknown to him, he had been throwing himself into work. He just put it up to that he wanted to put more scum where they belong. But he knew it was because in all honestly, he had no life. It was work. More work. And oh, more work. There might have been another reason, he could feel that nagging feeling he felt when he forgot his car keys, that there was another reason for his constant wanting to work more. But then, right when he thought he knew what it was. He lost his trail of thought.

Finally after useless rummaging through his car, finding mostly trash, receipts, some empty evidence bags. A old cell phone. Now broken. How, he couldn't quite remember, he only remembered losing it once on a case with Aiden. Then it turned up again, broken. Some parking tickets. He decided to put them back where he found them. If he didn't know they existed, then no harm done. After all that he ended up driving to the Lab. Knowing that it was either make himself go home. Or sit in his car all night listening to some weird talk show that made him feel like he was the stupid one. So boring in fact, he honestly couldn't remember anything he had done the entire day. He made a mental note to never listen to anything like that ever again, he might forget his forensic science degrees next. Then that would most certainly doom him to having the life of a loner. All that was missing was a pet, a dog. That he would end up talking to.

Walking into the crime lab he frowned in annoyance at himself, so much for positive thinking, like he had awoken to that morning. When the sun had been shining brightly and warm rays flooding in through the bedroom window. Now closing in on eleven at night, the weather was going down the drain, water included. It was storm weather out there, or at least hints of it. Wind, clouds, and rain being thrown everywhere by the harsh cold wind.

Counting the numbers as he stood in the elevator he trudged out of it once it hit thirty-five. As his hearing dulled on the echoing of his footsteps on the lab floor, he looked around aimlessly, seeing it pretty much empty. Most Lab Techs having gone home an hour before as most shifts ended around then. Stella had that day off, Sheldon wasn't working until early in the morning. And Mac, well... Danny figured Mac was in his office. As usual. Either that or for one in one billion times, Mac had gone home on time. Rare, but not unthinkable. He was human after all. At least contrary to certain rumors by hyper and over active imaginative Lab Techs. As he neared his shared office he slowed down his pace, letting his feet drag on the flooring. The sight in front of him pretty much lighted all his lines of thinking. He let himself relax as a smile spread onto his face.

Lindsay, well what could be seen of her, behind the paper work she had surrounded herself in at this point, for the last hour and a half she had decided that after all the cleaning she had done to her apartment in the past week. That she may as well start on the office she shared with Danny. Mainly because if she cleaned her apartment any more. She may end up rubbing it all out like on some sci-fi movie. Magical rubber. So now she was on to the unsorted paper work. Filing it, putting it in the right order. She lost track of time really. Probably why she didn't manage to notice Danny out in the hall, even if she could over the piles of paper work.

Danny opened his mouth to say something. _Hey Montana_. _Hey Monroe_. Something - but his mouth opened nothing came and it closed again. He let his eyes just stare at her. The smile still on his face as he watched her, with the paper work, her hair in a messy pony-tail, a pencil gripped in her mouth as she flicked through a file. He licked his lips along with a sigh that rippled through him. He felt the want to touch her, be close to her, something. It was true, he wanted her. But in what way. He still didn't see.

Stepping one foot forward he bit his lip, then he shook his head. Turned around and went to walk away, looking back over his shoulder he closed his eyes and for just a second was willing to give into temptation. Just go with it.

But then what. What next.

The unknown?

The unknown scared the living shit out of him. The unknown with Lindsay. Well you may just ask him to pick out his coffin right there and then.

"You've got me in binds girl." He shook his head and walked away.

_**TBC**_


	2. Medium

**Both Sides**

_Chapter Two - Medium_

An annoying buzz that just didn't seem to want to go away and leave her to her peaceful sleep brought Lindsay back to reality, regretting her impulse need to tidy the places around her, to fill time.. i.e. her and Danny's shared office. She rolled over under the cotton sheets, effectively getting herself tangled amongst them and waving one arm out from under them she flung it in the general direction of the offensive piece of technology. After several misses her palm collided with the alarm clock, sending it flying somewhere toward the bedroom doorway. Not that she cared as a disgruntled sound resembling a groan or grumble filtered through in a muffled tone from her faintly visible body shape.

Rolling over to the other side she hugged the pillow that lay there on the empty side of the bed. Another frustrated groan sound, and then seconds later.. a flying pillow. Under the sheets Lindsay peeked her eyes open and sighed. The sun had already started to rise, greeting her with warm rays of light that she greeted back by rolling away from them, somehow intwining herself more she tumbled too far, then when there was nowhere to roll, fell off the edge. Landing on the somewhat cold hardwood floor. _It must be the weekend. _

Minus her alarm and the lab coffee, she preferred week days.. things to do, crimes to solve, coworkers to eye-roll at. Just as the thought of said coworker, a one Daniel Messer. Lindsay was in the process of trying to get herself up off the floor and to her feet, as that thought passed her mind her hand slipped, causing her to bump her head on the ledge of the bedside table.

"Ugh."

_Way too early for those thoughts._

Putting work aside altogether as a _safety_ precaution, she dragged her and the trailing sheets into the bathroom, kicking the door shut with her foot. Just as she got the bath running and she had mused and made a decision over her bath salt range... ringing echoed from the living room and the bedroom. Not in the mood to use long lines of thought processes, she fast tracked to the linked bedroom phone, picked it off the receiver and walked back to the bathroom, taking a glance at the nice relaxing calming and intoxicating smelling, steaming hot bath before her and the at the cordless phone in her hand she sighed and dropped herself onto the toilet seat lid and pressed the green answer button. Clearing her groggy throat she ran a hand through her hair and spoke her half alive greeting.

"Ello' Monroe."

"_Morning cowgirl."_

Lindsay gave a blank stare into space, if she had been more awake she might have borrowed Flack's way of speaking and replied, 'You gotta' be kidding me.' But her library of smart-ass replies was temporarily unavailable.

"Messer?"

"_Uhuh."_

"It's Saturday."

"_I know that."_

Again staring into space she sighed out loud.

"_... what's up?"_

He had obviously caught it.

"I want to take my bath, and my head is sore and got some slight ringing because I woke up and knocked the alarm and then the pillow then fell out of bed. Then when I was getting up I was thinking--"

She blinked then paused. Maybe she should take lessons from Mac on how to keep her mouth shut in particular parts of conversations.

"_Thinkin' about what?"_

She shook her head. A) she could tell him the truth and be stuck talking to him for another twenty minutes, effectively letting her nice _hot_ bath go cold. (She didn't like that idea one bit.) Or.. B) she could lie, but then she had a hard time lying to Danny or anyone for that matter. She was cursed with a sensitive guilty conscience. And then there was, C) tell Danny she thought - tell him the truth, then she would get to soak in her steamy lavender smelling bath.

"_Montana?"_

"I was thinking about you- and since it was too early I hit my head on the edge of the table." She said all at once, then took a deep breath. "... and now I have this bath, nice hot bath with salts and everything. Here for no reason. Lavender salts that cost me thirty-five dollars. And you are not worth this bath going cold right now... no one is. So.. call back later." And she hung up.

"She hung up on me."

On the other end Danny stared at the phone in slight amusement.

"... Wait... what was that about thinking about me?"

That thought and the chain of reactions his mind started whirling over paused as his senses kicked in on the fact she hung up to get into a bath.

Aimlessly placing the phone on the chair he had just risen from, he walked to the bathroom and turned the shower on, not stopping till it was all the way to one side. _Cold_.

After the shower he didn't really need, if anything it was just a distraction. He prayed he wouldn't need to take another one. His water bill was already increasing lately. He headed toward and into the kitchen, a towel still wrapped around his waist, as he made himself some coffee. Instant, since he was too lazy to find the coffee beans, though when it came to finding anything in his apartment he tried to avoid that altogether for lots of reasons.

Humming to himself some song he had heard of the radio yesterday that seemed to keep getting stuck in his head, he remembered it was Maroon 5, Infatuation or something like that. Letting the water boil.. he headed into the living room in search of his laptop. Grabbing his glasses off the coffee table with one hand he turned on the laptop with the other, waited for it to come on he put on his glasses. Typing in the password, which not surprisingly was _Montana._ He did a search for Maroon 5 on his iTunes. Reading over the list of songs and names, found the song and pressed buy.

As it downloaded he went to make that coffee, blowing at the steaming liquid as he walked back in. Hitting play he listened in on the lyrics, and it occurred to him why his mind couldn't seem to stop playing and replaying it. He heard lines that had their own meaning to him.

Sitting back on the couch he thought how it was only four months since the 'incident' or moment, between him and Lindsay in that hallway outside the interrogation room. He did try to not think about it most of the time, he had blamed himself for it, for going too fast, then one drunken night he blamed her, for having problems. He went back to blaming himself, thinking that maybe it was because of his background that maybe she deserved to have better, and that was why she had stayed clear and gave him the 'It's not you. It's me' speech. In the end he realized all she needed was a friend. And after a month of silence between them on anything other than work. Lindsay had heard him out and listened to what he had spent hours preparing to say.

They had agreed to be friends, since it was clear to him that as of then, it was as close as she would let him. And that not talking to each other was eating away at both of them.

Danny placed the now empty mug down on the coffee table as he thought how four months seemed to have been so long ago. Him and Lindsay were, not perfect, but friends nonetheless. Sure it wasn't enough to ease all the tension he still had and all the feelings he found himself having around her or about her. He did wonder if she ever even gave a second thought about anything more with him, even if for whatever reasons she wasn't ready for that kind of relationship between them. But despite all that, Danny had gotten something more then dating her, he had Lindsay as a friend. And because of that... got to know her and enjoy just being around her, more than before. And it was enough, even if unknown to him, just yet, he still wanted more. But maybe it would be clearer to him one day. Till then, more cold showers and fighting temptation was visible in the future.

Startling him slightly his cell phone started to ring on the coffee table. Checking the display he thought maybe Lindsay had decided to call him back. Though when he saw it wasn't, but someone he wasn't too interested to talk to instead. His shoulders slumped. As it continued to ring he pressed silent. Yes he was avoiding the caller. And for a good reason, just because he couldn't be with Lindsay didn't mean he was about to jump into bed with some random Blonde, Brunette or Redhead from a bar. Or anywhere else. Natural hair color or not.

And this Blonde, he had liked enough, but wasn't exactly heartbroken when she left and went to Florida. But as it had been clear from the past week. She was back in NY and as for the fifteen phone calls that week. She wanted to seem him, or pick up where they had left it. He wouldn't say they had been dating, but it was enough to keep him sane for that month after Lindsay had shot him down like that.

She was blonde, good looking, and was okay with not having to commit to him forever, it had worked, but now, he had changed. He didn't need meaningless sex-based relationships with women anymore. He had learnt to appreciate just talking to women, Lindsay especially. Flack would laugh at the idea, but then, Flack was a single guy, enjoying it too. But Danny had something different. He had Montana to talk to, spend time with.

And as much that dampened his sex life, mainly because either he spent half the time talking about his partner to whatever girl he was talking to. Or, he was too busy at work, where if not by coincidence, Lindsay happened to be. It still had become his life, and it worked, and if he could get that through this girl's head he would. But he had just resigned to avoiding her calls. It was easier than trying to explain, well, whatever was going on with him relating to Lindsay. Sure it made sense to him, well maybe only a little. But everyone else would understand, right?

Maybe not _everyone_. Maybe not this blonde.

So, when the phone rang again twenty minutes later. He took the simple approach and hit silence the call again. And chose to ignore it.

Since it was because it was Saturday, or maybe because he did nothing but work and as a result didn't have time to make friends or socialize that by twelve at lunch he found himself sitting on the stairs that lead up to his apartment floor. Feeling so far bored his brain gave up thinking of things at all.

Having deleted the voice messages Marissa (The blonde) had left on his cell. That all went something like.. '_Hey you, it's Marissa. Remember me. When you get this, call me._' He had thrown the phone under the pillows of the couch and gone outside to get some air. Now sitting on the stairs he thought boredom was the worst that could happen. That is till he saw a familiar woman in a denim mini skirt, aqua t-shirt that read 'I stole your boyfriend.' As soon as he saw her take off her sunglasses and place them on her blonde hair he sprinted up the stairs and into his apartment.

But when knocking on his apartment door started he held in a groan. Ducking behind the couch he held his breath then pausing he frowned. "What _am_ I doing?" He muttered under his breath and stood up shaking his head. Only thing he could do was answer the door, but then what? He had ran out of excuses. He had answered the phone by accident earlier that week and used the 'I have to work' excuse. Which was partially true, but other than that he was at a loss. Answering the door was not something he wanted to do. So grabbing his jacket from the edge of the couch he shook his head. Running to the window he thanked god he lived on the first floor, and climbed out onto the fire escape.

Once safely around the corner from his apartment block he rocked on the balls of his feet, his hands digging deeper into his jean pockets. Flagging down a taxi cab he gave the driver the address as if automatically. As the cab pulled up at the address he payed the fare and hopped out.

Looking up at the windows on the building he hoped she wouldn't kill him. Finding her last name and the apartment number on the mail boxes he smiled politely as an elderly woman came out of the entrance doors just as he was about to press the buzzer for the apartment 22A. As the woman walked away he grabbed the door before it closed, he was going to buzz then go up, but he figured if she answered the door the chances of her killing him were lower. If he hadn't of been avoiding his phone for a good reason, he would have called. But he was already there now.

Finding the floor he walked pass the apartment doors, 21a, 21b, 22b, 22a. Maybe he should have brought food, he thought. _Way to a girl's heart._ Then realizing how stupid he was being he shook his head. He and Lindsay were friends, that included weekends too right. Besides that he was bored out of his mind. Lindsay was anything but boring. Though Lindsay was not exactly having a fun, exciting or vaguely interesting day herself.

While Danny had been listening to Maroon 5, thinking over the past between them, and ignoring phone calls. Lindsay had gone from a relaxing bath, to finding there was no food in the fridge unless you count moldy cheese and something in a container that was in the back of the fridge that she wasn't too eager to to open or know what it contained.

Then her level of boredom had increased over the hours till she found herself pulling out forensic text books. And then sat on the floor, leaning against her couch in her NYPD academy sweatshirt, pink cotton shorts that she refused to wear outside so, used them indoors. And her hair messily pulled into a ponytail. As she read about the interesting facts and cases of serial killer groupies, something about it for no apparent reason had her giggling till she fell over laughing. Just as there was a repetitive knock at the her apartment door. Pulling herself off the floor she let out a small laugh and shook her head.

_I wasn't expecting anyone. Especially on a Saturday. God. I hope it isn't one of those salesmen. They smile too much._

She giggled to herself as she got to the door.

Since the spy hole was slightly high she got on her tiptoes and looked through it. Smiling and interested to see who was on the other side.

_That's one good looking salesman._

More giggling.

Unlocking the door she berated herself for being so happy to see him. Was she really that bored. Well it was better than finding groupies highly amusing.

Danny who not expecting the door to open so quickly was leaning on the door frame, when Lindsay opened the door. Trying to regain his balance when he nearly fell backwards, as Lindsay raised an eyebrow but still trying not to laugh.

"Messer. You owe me a phone call."

Trying to compose himself he cleared his throat. "Um. Well, I left my cell at home, I would have called though." He half told the truth, he was feeling guilty though, since the only reason, at least the only one he could see, was that he only came to Lindsay's apartment to avoid a blonde that just didn't take a hint.

Lindsay slightly curious shrugged, and after a few seconds decided to let him in as Danny was enjoying staring at her a little too much, mainly because of the pink shorts.

"How did you get in anyway?"

Danny smirked innocently as he followed her in and watched her close and lock the door. "You would be surprised what you can do with a badge and a smile."

Lindsay turned around and gave him a look. "Danny!"

"What?" He shrugged, then smiled. Which just caused Lindsay to laugh.

"So... _Sheriff." _Lindsay started as she picked up the books off the floor.

Danny laughed and sat himself on the edge of the couch.

"... Can I ask, what you are doing here?" She asked tucking her legs onto the couch as she sat down on the other end.

"Can't I just come see a friend?"

Lindsay looked at him in disbelief. "On a Saturday?... Don't you have better and more important things to do?"

Danny put on a look of mock hurt then smiled. "What's more important then you, Monroe."

"Now I'm suspicious." She replied as she hit him with a pillow.

Laughing, Danny put up his hands. "Okay. That was cheesy. I just figured we could spend some time together." He shrugged.

Placing the pillow onto her lap she played with the tassels on the ends of it. "But you see me everyday at work."

Danny slid off the arm of the couch and onto the couch next to her. "Come on, Montana."

She laughed slightly. "Are you that desperate."

"Please." He pleaded leaning closer to her.

Lindsay shook her head in amusement and got up, walking around to the other side of the couch, Danny got up and followed her, dropping onto his knees he took ahold of hands as she started to giggle.

"I beg you. Please."

Still giggling she shook her head at him, "Okay. Okay. But get up, you're embarrassing yourself." She muttered trying to stop the redness of her cheeks from getting worse.

Danny laughed when he caught sight of her slightly red cheeks as he got to his feet and watched her get her jacket.

As they headed out of the building she looked over at him. "So, what do you want to do."

Danny who despite the nervous and unsure thoughts when he had arrived at her apartment was completely at ease now. "Wanna' go for a walk?"

Still wondering why he'd want to spend his Saturday with her, Lindsay smiled. "Sure."

_**TBC**_

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I know this is late. So very late as an update. I was ignoring Fan-Fiction for a while, no reason really. You have no idea how much I have to read. God. Let alone write. LOL.

One thing I want to mention, is that this kinda as you probably know now. Is set somewhere after LRC. But not directly, just loosely.

Review, lemme' know your thoughts.

Lila.


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